Withdrawal Policy

If a student chooses to withdraw from a Bard College international program, he or she must inform the Institute for International Liberal Education (IILE) in writing immediately.

In such an event, the following policies apply:

The $500 program deposit is nonrefundable.

If an accepted student chooses to withdraw prior to a program's commencement—the first day of the predeparture workshop—he or she will be responsible for paying any unrecoverable program costs that the IILE or the program has incurred on his or her behalf. Such costs may include, but are not limited to: prepaid meals, prepaid room or housing reservation deposits, airline deposits or airline tickets, bus rental fees, and payments for guides. Thus, even if the student has not yet paid the full program balance and does not attend the program, he or she may be responsible for paying these unrecoverable program costs. Therefore, it is in the student's best interest to notify the IILE immediately upon making a decision to withdraw in order to minimize unrecoverable expenses made on the student's behalf.

If a student chooses to withdraw after a program's commencement—the first day of the predeparture workshop—for any reason, including academic or personal, no refunds will be given. In addition, any student who withdraws before completion of the program may not be eligible to receive academic credit from the program.

If a student is required to return to the U.S. after a program's commencement—the first day of the predeparture workshop—due to serious illness, death, or death within the immediate family, IILE will make every effort to refund recoverable costs to the student.

If a student is dismissed from a program due to behavioral, academic, legal, or other related issues no refunds will be given.

Notes:

Students receiving financial aid should consult with the financial aid office at their home institution for information about how withdrawing from a program would affect their federal, state, and/or institutional aid.

Because full refunds are often not possible, we strongly urge students to purchase either trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance for all or part of the full program cost, including tuition or tuition insurance. Policies vary widely in terms with regard to covered expenses, price, and the timing of when policies must be purchased, so students should check directly with insurance providers for more details.

All students participating in a Bard College program are required to purchase international health insurance which covers the time of the program, and to provide proof of that purchase before departure.

Program Cancellation Policy

Because student safety is of critical importance, Bard College reserves the right to cancel any Bard-sponsored program in a location or context that is considered unsafe by the College. The IILE regularly reviews information provided by the U.S. Department of State and monitors other sources for information about the countries where students are or will be studying on Bard programs.

In such an event, the following policies apply:

If Bard College cancels a program because of safety concerns, an emergency, or an act of God prior to the predeparture workshop:

The IILE will make every effort to refund recoverable program costs to the participants. Unrecoverable program expenses (e.g., program deposits, airfare, excursion expenses, housing fees, other operating costs) cannot be refunded.

Tuition will be refunded.

If Bard College cancels a program after it has commenced, from the day of the predeparture workshop, due to safety concerns, an emergency, or an act of God:

The IILE will make every effort to help students complete the academic work from the program and, depending on the circumstances, possibly earn the intended academic credit from the program. Whether or not this is possible depends largely on the particular program, the circumstances of the academic work of the program, and the length of time remaining in the program after the official cancellation date.

The IILE will make every effort to refund recoverable program costs to the participants. Unrecoverable program expenses (e.g., program deposits, airfare, excursion expenses, housing fees, other operating costs) cannot be refunded.

Tuition will not be refunded.

Notes:

The IILE will review program cancellations on a case-by-case basis for students who are receiving financial aid from Bard or from their home institutions.

Because full refunds are often not possible, we strongly urge students to purchase trip cancellation insurance and tuition insurance. Policies vary on when trip cancellation insurance and tuition insurance must be purchased, so students should check with insurance providers for more details.

The Bard NetworkBard College has long been known as an innovator and risk taker in the field of higher education. We believe that international education should be built upon meaningful partnerships based on the principles of mutuality and equality. Our groundbreaking study abroad programs, located in regions undergoing rapid political and economic transformation continue this tradition. The Institute for International Liberal Education (IILE) oversees Bard Abroad, our exchange programs, summer language intensives, Program in International Education (PIE), and Bard’s English Summer Language Intensive (BESLI). Our partnership programs serve young people from abroad, as well as from North America.